I linger in the blazing sun
and gaze through the eclipse glasses
at the burning wheel of cheese.
I look closer
and spot a small sliver
of the sun has been shaved off.
“It’s starting!” I exclaim.
As I think of how many people are watching with us
all across the United States,
the dark disc of the moon
slides across our light, and the crescent
sun looks like a crack in the sky.
One moment the sky is bright, and then
the world plunges into darkness. Charlotte, Aunt Mary, Xavier Jacob, mom, and some others gaze
at the white-rimmed eye looking down
on us, and I think,
“God has made a beautiful universe.”

After the moon creeps away,
our small group gathers around
and thanks God.